For many years, delivery systems have operated independently of a recipient for an item carried from a sender by a delivery service to the recipient. This involves an unscheduled delivery of the item to the recipient. The term "unscheduled delivery" as used herein refers to delivery of articles, items, packages or the like to a recipient at a time that is not specifically prearranged with the recipient. For example, a recipient orders an article from a mail-order catalog service. Delivery is to occur generally within some time period, but no specific day or time is arranged. The term "scheduled delivery" refers to an arrangement whereby the delivery service is to deliver the item to the recipient at a specific time. Due to delays inherent in delivery schedules, travel, and time spent at each delivery location, scheduled deliveries are difficult to maintain.
In most circumstances, however, the system of unscheduled delivery is satisfactory. For instance, regular delivery of mail typically does not require advance scheduling or notification of delivery of items for a recipient. Generally, the delivery occurs at approximately the same time each day, and for homes and businesses, such regular and routine delivery at or about the approximate same time is satisfactory for receiving items. In those instances where a receipt, payment, or signature of the recipient is required, the carrier contacts the recipient at the time of delivery. If contact cannot be made, the carrier leaves a notice of attempted delivery. The recipient then contacts either a central distribution center or the carrier for arranging delivery.
Such notice of attempted delivery and having to make arrangements for delivery is both time consuming and troublesome. The recipient either must make arrangements to meet the carrier or travel to the central facility for delivery of the item. It may take as much as several days to coordinate the delivery of the item.
In many instances however, unscheduled delivery of packages is satisfactory for recipients. Many commercial delivery systems carry packages from a sender to a recipient. The delivery company receives the package and groups it with other packages in a selected geographic area. A route list is developed so that the packages are delivered in a particular sequence. Various mechanisms are known to select and arrange a delivery sequence for a route list. The carrier follows the sequential route list and delivers the packages to recipients. For business delivery, a clerk typically is available during the day for receiving such unscheduled delivery of packages. For home delivery the carrier may be authorized to leave the item irrespective of whether a recipient is present. In other situations, the carrier leaves the package with a neighbor.
Many delivery companies offer a service of delivering a package by a preselected time. The problem remains, however, that some packages will be delivered before others are delivered, before the predetermined time. In circumstances where a clerk or recipient is available, such mechanisms are satisfactory.
In many circumstances advance notice of pending delivery of an item would facilitate the delivery. These circumstances include the requirement that a particular individual sign papers acknowledging delivery or the recipient is not present at the delivery site but could be available given reasonable advance notice. In these circumstances, failure to deliver requires that separate arrangements must be made for delivery. Again, this is time consuming and troublesome for recipients. Often the recipient could reach the delivery site or be available if reasonable advance notice of the unscheduled delivery were provided by the carrier to the recipient. Currently, the only advance notice that is available is either the general provision for delivery of an item before a particular time or by attempting to deliver the package and leaving a message for the recipient to contact the carrier.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method of signalling a reasonable advance notice of an unscheduled delivery of an item to a recipient.